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T
he School of Occupational Therapy at Western
University welcomes its two newest assistant
professors--
Drs. Liliana Alvarez
and
Colleen
McGrath
. We wish both of these individuals a long, happy
and productive stay in the School of OT at Western!
Colleen McGrath PhD, OT Reg. (Ont.)
has com-
pleted her Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with the NCE-
funded AGE-WELL (Aging Gracefully across Environments
using Technology to Support Wellness, Engagement, and
Long Life) Network. Her research interests focus on envi-
ronmental influences on occupational engagement for
older adults with age-related vision loss, the situated na-
ture of risk in older adulthood, and the intersection of
ageism and ableism in shaping the identities of older
adults. Most recently, Dr. McGrath's work has focused on
better understanding the
needs, preferences, and val-
ues of older adults as it re-
lates to technological
acquisition and use. She is
dedicated to including older
adults in the technology de-
sign, development, and mar-
keting/commercialization
process to ensure technolo-
gies are created that meet
the needs of older adults.
Liliana Alvarez, PhD, MSc, BSc (O.T.)
completed a
two-year postdoctoral fellowship working with Dr. Sherri-
lene Classen, and was the manager of the i-Mobile Re-
search Lab at Western University. Dr. Alvarez is an
emerging scholar in occupational therapy whose research
focus is on technology to facilitate participation for people
with neurological conditions and their ability to engage in
meaningful occupations. Her unfolding research program
centers on the role, implications, efficacy of vehicle au-
tomation, driving simulation, and assistive technologies of
at-risk populations across the life span. Dr. Alvarez com-
pleted her PhD in Rehabilitation Science at the University
of Alberta, Canada, where she worked in the field of as-
sistive technologies. In Columbia she pursued her Master’s
degree in Biomedical Sciences (Mechanical Engineering)
after having completed her degree in Occupational Ther-
apy. Dr. Alvarez is Interim
Program Coordinator of
Research for the World
Federation of Occupa-
tional Therapists (WFOT);
delegate of Colombia to
the WFOT; and serves as
assistant editor of the Oc-
cupational Therapy Journal
of Research (OTJR): Occu-
pation, Participation and
Health.
Continued on next page...
MCMASTER UNIVERSITY OT PROGRAM
Integrated EBP Project and
Clinical Practicum Learning Experience (ILE)
A
t McMaster, an innovative opportunity has
been designed for student occupational ther-
apists’ engagement and learning. ILEs include
a full clinical placement plus an evidence-based practice
project (EBP) placement consecutively completed by the
same student duo in the same practice setting. The im-
pact of continuity across two courses facilitates greater
accumulative student learning and contributions to
clients and sites.
What is an ILE?
An integrated EBP project and clinical practicum
NEWS FROM WESTERN UNIVERSITY